DRR climbs for three reasons: expensive impressions, clicks without orders, and a weak card that does not convert traffic. Reduce it in the right order — from quick shutdowns to systematic work. Here is the step-by-step plan.
Step 0. Diagnostics: Where Exactly You Are Losing
DRR is ad spend divided by the revenue it generates. Before touching the settings, break the number down by products and campaigns: almost always a few SKUs account for most of the overspend. For each problem product, trace the chain impressions → clicks → carts → orders: wherever the chain breaks is where you treat. A break at clicks — the main image; at carts — price and content; at orders — reviews and delivery.
Step 1. Switch Off the Obvious Leaks (Day One)
- Pause ads for SKUs where DRR exceeds the margin and there is no strategic reason to overpay (new product launch, defending the season).
- Queries with spend but no add-to-carts go into negative keywords.
- Placement zones with spend but no carts — switch off in the campaign settings.
Step 2. Fix Card Conversion (Week One)
Advertising a weak card means expensive clicks into a void — no bids can compensate for that.
- Main image CTR: an A/B test against the competitors in the search results.
- The discounted price against the neighbors in the results.
- Reviews and rating: conversion will not grow without them — a legitimate ramp-up via points for reviews.
- Content and semantics: card SEO.
Step 3. Rebuild the Bids
- Start from the dashboard's recommended bids and move down, not up: the recommendation is the top of the auction, not the optimum.
- The bid for the top position does not always pay off: a slot lower can deliver almost the same orders noticeably cheaper. Only a test can verify this.
- Raise the bid in steps and stop when the extra orders no longer cover the extra spend.
Step 4. Let Organic Take Over
Ads warm up positions; organic is what earns. Once the card has locked into the results for its target queries, lower the bids gradually and watch the positions: organic will hold part of the demand for free. The organic levers are in the guide on promotion without ads.
What DRR Counts as Normal
The norm is not a market benchmark but your margin: as long as DRR stays below the product's net margin, advertising runs at a profit — how to calculate it is covered in the guide on how to calculate profit. The exception is a new SKU in its first weeks: there, an investment DRR above the norm is acceptable.
FAQ
"How do you reduce DRR on Wildberries fast?" In one day: pause SKUs with DRR above the margin, add negative keywords for queries with spend but no carts, switch off empty placement zones. Then work systematically: card conversion, bids, organic.
"Why is DRR high when the card is good?" Most often — junk impressions (no negative keywords) or a max-position bid where a lower slot would be enough. Break the spend down by queries and zones and the leak becomes visible.
"What DRR is considered normal?" One below the product's net margin — then advertising runs at a profit. There are no universal percentages: a product with a 30% margin and one with 10% have different norms.
"Should you switch off ads entirely if DRR is high?" A full shutdown also drops the organic positions — the card loses traffic and behavioral signals. Better to lower the bid and clean the campaign, switching off only the clearly loss-making SKUs.
